Inseparable Strangers Read online

  Heat singed between my thighs and I wanted him to touch me. I wanted him to put the fire out he’d started. Other than my dreams lately, I hadn’t had a man to touch me in over a year. I was a greedy bitch, and I wanted more. Still standing beside my bed, bent over kissing me, the bottom of his shirt gaped open. With wandering hands, I reached underneath his t-shirt and skimmed my fingers over the silky skin I remembered touching in my dreams. The taut muscles quickly tightened, then eagerly relaxed. With urgency, I explored every groove of his chest. He moaned in my mouth when I pinched his tiny nipple, and I nearly creamed all over my sheets. Oh shit! It occurred to me I wasn’t wearing any panties. Usually, I just wear a short nightgown to bed unless it’s shark week. I was completely exposed to him. There was nothing underneath my short nightgown separating us.

  Aaron climbed up over me, never breaking our kiss. Not only did I want him, I needed him. I needed to feel him on me, in me, through me.

  “More,” I murmured against his lips, hoping he knew what I was asking for.

  He stood on his knees, reached behind his back, and pulled his t-shirt over his head with one clean swipe. Normally I loved intimacy in the dark, but he was too beautiful to hide behind shadows. Damn you, new moon.

  Leaning forward, I dragged my tongue over his belly button then trailed tender kisses down his perfect treasure trail in search of what I desired. My fingers curled around the edges of his sweat pants, and I tugged them down followed by more kisses.

  He placed his hands on top of my head and his fingers massaged my scalp with encouragement. Aaron sucked air through his teeth when I gripped his hardened length in my hand. When I licked the tiny bead of moisture from the tip of his cock, an intoxicating groan pierced my ears. God, I loved the way he sounded. My egotistical-self wanted to hear more. I need the instant gratification, so I pushed him further into my mouth. A brazen exhale told me he was thoroughly enjoying my service. I smiled around him. This. This was what I wanted to hear. This was what I craved. Next would be the mind-blowing grunts when he spewed his release on me.

  Aaron’s gentle massages switched over to hair pulling. He now had my hair twisted around his hands, fucking my mouth with an unforgiving force. He reached the back of my throat and I opened up, taking him all in. Quickly, he vacated my mouth and with a few steady pumps, he spilled his seeds all over his t-shirt. “Guh! Ahhhhh! Oh my God! You’re fucking mouth is like a temple for my cock,” he breathed heavily. “That was… incredible.”

  I sat there with my eyes closed, drinking in my victory. When I opened them he was gone. Vanished.

  “Aaron?” I looked around the room frantically. Again, I was cursing the dark. There was no light shining through tonight.

  “Aaron!” I called a little louder.

  Nothing.

  Silence.

  My heart hastened with fear. I jumped off my bed and inspected the room. Who was I fooling? He wasn’t going to magically appear in front of me.

  “Aaron!” I screamed out this time. My voice cracked. I was in sheer panic mode.

  “Aaron, you’re scaring me!”

  “I’m here. It’s okay. I’m here,” he said soothingly behind me as he brushed my hair from my face.

  My eyes opened and Aaron was repeating his words in a calm voice. “It was just a nightmare. It wasn’t real. I’m here. Everything is okay now.” His voice was clear and sounded heartfelt.

  “But it wasn’t a nightmare,” I cried.

  His brows knitted together. “It was, Lennox. You were screaming my name. Look at you. You’re sitting in the middle of your floor rocking back and forth.” I glanced around and saw he was right.

  But it wasn’t a nightmare. It was a wonderful dream that I wished was real.

  Aaron scooped me up and carried me over to my bed. “Here, let’s get you back in your bed,” he said, pulling the comforter over me. “Do you want me to stay in here for a little bit?”

  I nodded. “Please,” I replied, patting the empty spot beside of me.

  He raised his eyebrows, silently asking if I was sure. When I patted the spot again he climbed in beside of me, but laid down on top of the covers. I wanted to wrap myself around him, but I knew he wouldn’t understand so I scooted as close to him as possible without making it awkward. Feeling secure with him by my side, I easily drifted back to sleep.

  Chapter 11

  When I woke up, the first thing I felt was the absence of Aaron. How I knew he was no longer in the room was a mystery. Just like everything else that circulated around him.

  Last night’s memories slithered over me like a sly snake, ready to attack any moment. Ready to trick my mind into believing it all happened. I was still unable to wrap my head around the reality of my dream.

  The smell of bacon wafted through the vents. As much as I wanted to hide in the comfort of my bed and relish in the remnants of last night’s shenanigans, I trudged off the bed and slid on a pair of black yoga pants. Before walking out of the room, I caught sight of my nipples pointing as if they were screaming for attention beneath my nightgown. “This isn’t going to do,” I said out loud to myself as I put a bra on beneath the paper-thin material. After what happened last night, enticing Aaron with my tits was the last thing I needed.

  Aaron stood in front of the stove like a natural born chef. Except I’d never seen a top chef cooking with nothing on but sweats hanging low on the hips. The muscles in his back took turns flexing then relaxing with every move he made. I wanted to run my hands over them as they formed different shapes.

  He must’ve felt my presence, just as I had him in my dream last night. He looked over his shoulder at me like you see those hunky guys advertising the latest fashion in a clothing store magazine. His cat eyes preyed upon me while I stood there gazing at him. Then, his eyes turned up in a slant as his lips spread out into a breathtaking smile. “Good morning, ba—Lennox.”

  What was he about to call me? Beautiful? Baby? Bitch? All the above?

  “Ba-Lennox? Have you created a new name for me?”

  “Don’t ask. Please, don’t ask,” he replied with a smile, shaking his head as if he could wish it away.

  “Ah, c’mon,” I teased. “You got to spill your guts now.”

  “Leave it. It’s not happening.”

  “Aaron,” I sang.

  “Lennox,” he sang back in a surprisingly melodic voice.

  “Tell me,” I whined.

  He turned at his waist and with a plate full of bacon in hand. “Since you slept in late, I decided to make us BLTs for lunch. I laid the bacon out last night in anticipation to make breakfast this morning but those plans kind of got squashed,” he explained while he began slicing up a tomato.

  “Nice change of topic.”

  He glanced up as he ripped pieces of lettuce off and placed them onto a platter. A smile found his lips before he shook his head and went back to paying attention to the task at hand.

  I could get used to this. Maybe I could permanently replace Zoila with him. I would hate to put her out, but Aaron was handy in so many more ways than she was. Plus, I really enjoyed his company. I liked the idea of him living here. He made me feel safe. We may still be strangers living in the same house, but he was comforting. Even without him doing anything, or myself not being succumbed to any type of danger, he still made me feel protected. And I couldn’t ignore the fact he was easy on the eyes.

  Out of the blue, Aaron dropped everything he was doing and practically ran to what was now considered his bedroom. I got up from the bar to see what caused him to scatter so quickly, but was interrupted when the front door opened. Shit. Shit. Shit. How did I forget? Stupid question. When you have a marvelous, mysterious hunk of meat in front of you, of course you’re going to forget, Dumbass.

  Stopping in mid-step then spinning on the balls of my feet, I marched into the foyer to greet my dad. “Hi, Daddy,” I welcomed a little too cheerily.

  He eyed me curiously then wrapped his arms around me with his usual heartfelt h
ug. “Hi Princess,” he said, then kissed me on the cheek. Even though I took my dad for granted, and he married the biggest bitch in the country, I still loved him almost as much as myself.

  He walked into the kitchen, and I trailed right behind him. “Mmm, smells like I made perfect timing. Did Zoila fry bacon for me?” he asked right as he shoved the thin, crispy strip in his mouth. Shitty, shit, shit. I was not ready to tell him about Aaron. God, I was so freaking stupid. My idiocy was putting me in a shitty situation.

  “Um…well…uh… actually, somebody else made the bacon… for me,” I replied shyly. There was no fooling Dad. I didn’t do shy and he knew it. Any minute, I anticipated Aaron to walk out of his bedroom and expose himself. I wanted to keep him hidden, but it would probably be best if he would just appear and blow my cover.

  Dad chomped down on another piece. “Oh?” He knew. I knew he knew. He was waiting for me to say it so he didn’t have to.

  I inhaled deeply and rolled my eyes. “Yes, Dad.”

  “Well don’t make me wait. Tell me who this lucky guy is.”

  “Who said it was a guy?” Take that. Let’s see your reaction when the thought of your daughter being a lesbian enters your mind.

  “Oh,” he said acting surprised. “You made a friend? This is wonderful news, Len.”

  Damn bastard called my bluff.

  “So when do I get to meet your new BFF? I want to thank her for making BLTs. I’ve not had one of these in years,” he said, making himself a sandwich. “You know, I don’t like the idea of you always being alone. It’s about time you started making friends,” he remarked then took a bite of his sandwich piled high with bacon.

  “It’s not a her, it’s a him. And, we’re just friends.” Who likes to do naughty things in my dreams, I thought to myself.

  Dad stopped in mid-chew. “Friends?” he garbled with a mouth full of bacon. He chewed quickly, clearly ready to ask more. He swallowed thickly, then sat his sandwich down. “Is he here?”

  Reluctantly, I answered, “Yes. He’s in the spare room. I’ll go get him.” I didn’t have to ask Dad if he wanted to meet him. I knew he would.

  My nerves were on edge and I didn’t like it. Everything I’d worked so hard to be was changing outside of my control. My tough exterior. My nerves of steel. My hardened heart. Feeling was too difficult. Life was easier when you were a badass. Hesitating, I slowly turned the knob to Aaron’s room. “Aaron?” I called in a soft tone as I opened the door. The room was quiet and empty. “Aaron?” I whispered. I didn’t want my dad to hear me. “Aaron? Where did you go?” I knew he didn’t leave, I would’ve seen him. This was weird. I started searching all around the bedroom—in the closet, under the bed, behind the dresser, as if he was a child playing hide and go seek. This was ridiculous. There was nowhere else he could be. If he snuck out of here, how in the hell did I not see or hear him? This was a time I wished I had a dog. You could never turn invisible around a dog.

  Without being caught by my dad, I tiptoed out of the bedroom, down the hall, and into the bathroom. The lights were off and Aaron wasn’t in there either. Son of a bitch. Where is that stupid fucker? My blood was heating up. He was starting to piss me off. I didn’t have time to play Where’s Waldo. As soon as my dad finished his sandwich, he would come join me to see what I was doing.

  I wondered if he took this opportunity to explore the rest of the house. Surely not. As many times as he’d been here alone, why would he do it now?

  Not wanting to chance it, I walked back to the kitchen and conjured up a lie about Aaron’s whereabouts along the way.

  “Well, pops, Aaron has slipped out for a run.” I was about to tell him he’d gone to the store until I remembered he had no way of getting there. He will be in for the biggest ass kicking when I find him.

  “Huh, what a shame,” he said.

  He knew I was lying. Sometimes I could pull the wool over my dad’s eyes, but he wasn’t buying my story today.

  “So who is this Aaron guy? How long have you known each other? Where did you meet? Is he staying here?” He asked, ticking off a finger with each question. This is what I get for keeping my personal business on the down low.

  “Whoa, Dad, slow down with the interrogation. I’ve known him a few weeks. We met on the greenway when I was out for my daily run.” He didn’t need to know the specifics of that night. “And he’s stayed over a few times.” I added nonchalantly, hoping he wouldn’t ask anymore.

  He raised an eyebrow. “If I’m paying for this house, the least you can do is introduce me to someone before you start allowing them to sleep in your bed.”

  If he’d slapped me across the face I wouldn’t have been any more surprised. “Don’t you think you should learn the facts before you start accusing? That was pretty shitty, Dad. We are just friends. He has slept in the guest bedroom. He’s never slept in my bed.” Except last night. “He’s never even been upstairs,” I stated harshly with my finger pointing toward the second level. Again, another lie. “Only place I’ve allowed him to roam is down here. I’ve set rules for him and so far he’s followed them. God! Give me a little credit sometime.” My blood was boiling.

  Breathe in, breathe out. I kept repeating the words to myself until I started to cool down. I had a tendency of losing my temper with my father, and it pained me every time. Regret always crept in, and it was always too late to say I was sorry. All he wanted was what was best for his little girl, and I knew this but it still ground on my nerves. He only wanted to protect me and I knew he lived in fear of losing his only child.

  “Lennox—“

  “No, Dad, I get it. I know you’re just a concerned father, and I apologize for not telling you about him sooner. I really didn’t think he would be here this long. I had all intentions of introducing the two of you today, but he left before I could. He probably wanted to give us time alone. He’s kind of like that. He’s good about giving me my space.” The last part easily fell out of my mouth. Sometimes I was known to talk a line of bullshit.

  “Am I forgiven?” I asked, giving him my signature puppy dog eyes.

  He grabbed my shoulders, kissed my cheek, then hugged me. “Of course, Princess. But I really wish you would get a dog or something. It would make me feel better to know you weren’t alone in this house. This is too much for one person, you know?” He raised his eyebrows, softening the deep lines around his eyes.

  This was another battle I didn’t want to revisit at the moment. “Dad, we’re not discussing this again. Case closed.” Ever since he bought the house for me, he had suggested I let Zoila live in the guest room. I shot that idea down real quick. There was no way I was having her in my face all day, every day. My dad would ask her questions about me and she would spill her guts to him. I knew how that game would be played and I wasn’t succumbing to it. Once he finally realized that idea was out, he had been on me about getting a pet, preferably a dog. A guard dog. Something along the lines of a Rottweiler, German Shepherd, or a Pitbull. I told him if I were to get a dog, it would not be a large one that would shed and slobber all over my house. It would be small and petite. One I could easily carry around with me and dress up in frilly bows. He obviously forgot I didn’t have time to take care of anyone else besides myself. Well, that was until now, until Aaron.

  He shrugged his shoulders in defeat. “It was worth a try. I’m a concerned father. I’ll never give up.”

  “And I’ll keep on fighting. Two stubborn mules butting heads,” I laughed.

  Dad looked down at his watch. “Thank you for lunch, Princess. I’ve got to get back to the office. I’ll have patients waiting in thirty minutes,” he hugged me one more time before walking to the door.

  “Bye, Dad. Love you.”

  “Love you too, sweetheart,” he called out as he walked outside.

  As soon as the door closed, I peeked out at him through the living room blinds until he left my driveway, then I went on a manhunt. “Aaron!” I screamed.

  Opening the door to the bas
ement, I yelled to him down the stairs. Silence.

  I shut the door and walked upstairs. “Aaron! I don’t know where the hell you are, but you better get your ass out here now!” I shrieked. My blood was heating up again.

  There was only so much of this house I could search and he was nowhere in sight. The backyard. Maybe he was in the backyard. Why didn’t I think to look there? I ran back downstairs. Before I reached the French doors to the back patio, I lost my breath, my heart nearly stopped.

  “Where are you running off to in such a hurry?”

  “Motherfuckinghell! You just gave me a damn heart attack,” I said, gasping for air with my hand over my heart.

  He shrugged, “Sorry?”

  “Sorry? That’s all you have to say after I’ve been running around this damn house looking for you, calling for you?” My heart rate was pumping wildly. Every vein in my body was thumping to the beat. “Where the hell have you been? My father was just here and he wanted to meet you.”

  “Your father isn’t ready to meet me yet.” His face was blank. Expressionless. It was odd. But then again, everything about Aaron was odd.

  I ignored his remark. “So where were you? I looked everywhere for you.”